It is important to comply with your parenting time order at all times. Please keep in mind that holiday parenting time differs from your regularly scheduled parenting time. Holiday parenting time will “trump” your regular parenting time schedule.

If the other parent is refusing to allow you to see your child, you have several options to enforce your parenting time order:
1.) Many police departments will tell you to deal with the situation though the court; however, some police officers will escort you to the other parent’s house, and ensure that the child is with the correct parent, pursuant to your court order, or 2.) You can file an emergency ex-parte order to show cause. A show cause hearing will require the non-cooperating parent to explain to the court why they should not be held in contempt of court, for failing to comply with the court order.

If you are having issues with holiday parenting time, or parenting time in general, please contact Serafini, Michalowski, Derkacz, & Associates, P.C. at (586) 264-3756.

Related Posts: Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?, What is the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

Whether the court is determining the initial child custody order, or modifying the order after a judgment has been entered, they will consider the “best interest factors.” The best interest factors help the referee or judge determine what custody or parenting time arrangement is truly in the best interests of the children.

Some factors may favor you, or they may favor your spouse. The amount of weight given to each factor is a matter of interpretation for the judge or referee.

You may want to review these factors and consider the potential strengths and weaknesses in your case. This will allow us to formulate a strategic approach to securing custody of your children.

The Best Interest Factors:

• (a) The love, affection, and other emotional ties existing between the parties involved and the child
  This factor focuses on the emotional bond that already exists between the parent and the child.
• (b) The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to give the child love, affection, and guidance and to continue the education and raising of the child in his or her religion or creed, if any.

This factor tries to project the parent’s ability to foster an emotional bond in the future, and the parent’s impact on such matters as education, guidance, and religious training.

• (c) The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to provide the child with food, clothing, medical care or other remedial care recognized and permitted under the laws of this state in place of medical care, and other material needs.
• (d) The length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment, and the desirability of maintaining continuity.
• (e) The permanence, as a family unit, of the existing or proposed custodial home or homes.

This factor focuses solely on the permanence of the family environment, not the acceptability of the home or child care arrangements.

• (f) The moral fitness of the parties involved.

This factor evaluates the parties’ moral fitness only as it relates to how they will function as a parent and not as to who is the morally superior adult.

• (g) The mental and physical health of the parties involved.

This factor should not impair or defeat the public policy goal of integrating disabled persons into the mainstream of society.

• (h) The home, school, and community record of the child.
• (i) The reasonable preference of the child, if the court considers the child to be of sufficient age to express preference.

The court must take the preference of the child into account if it decides that the child is old enough to express a preference. The court is not required to disclose the child’s preference. The child’s preference does not automatically outweigh other factors; it is only one element used to make the determination.

• (j) The willingness and ability of each of the parties to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship between the child and the other parent or the child and the parents.
• (k) Domestic violence, regardless of whether the violence was directed against or witnessed by the child.
• ( l ) Any other factor considered by the court to be relevant to a particular child custody dispute.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?, What is the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

Where a change of custody is sought, the initial inquiry is whether there is an established custodial environment.

An established custodial environment (ECE) is an environment of “significant duration in which a parent provides care, discipline, love, guidance, and attention that is appropriate to the age and individual needs of the child. It is both a physical and a psychological environment that fosters a relationship between custodian and child and is marked by security, stability, and performance.” Berger v. Berger, 277 Mich. App 700 (2008).

Determining which party has the ECE is a question of fact. The court may find that an ECE exists with both parents.

For more information regarding the established custodial environment, contact the attorneys at SMDA, P.C. for a free consultation.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

There are two types of custody that will be determined in a custody or divorce case.

Legal custody involves major decisions affecting the child, including, but not limited to schooling, healthcare, and religion. Physical custody refers to the time spent with each parent.

Custody differs depending on the situation. It is typical for legal custody for be joint. Physical custody can be joint (roughly half of the time is spent with the mother and half of the time with the father) or sole (one parent has the majority of the time with the children). If one party has sole physical custody, then the other parent will generally have a set parenting time plan.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?

The Medical Marijuana Act states that a person shall not be denied custody or visitation of a minor for acting in accordance with the act, unless the person’s behavior is such that it creates an unreasonable danger to the minor that can be clearly articulated and substantiated. MCL 333.26424(c).

Thus, if you have concerns that your child is in unreasonable danger, you must have specific, identifiable, and admissible evidence that substantiates your claim. Keep in mind, that the court’s main objective is looking out for the best interest of the minor child(ren). The court must weigh the alleged danger to the child, with the need for the child to have a relationship with both parents.

If you are dealing with medical marijuana use in a child custody case, please contact the attorneys of Serafini, Michalowski, Derkacz & Associates, P.C. at (586) 264-3756.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?

A bill has been proposed to protect military members in child custody cases while serving overseas. The proposed bill responds to a Lenawee County judge’s decision to order a sailor to come to court despite him being aboard a U.S. submarine. The legislation would prohibit judges from modifying parenting time if a motion is filed to suspend the case while the military member is away.

Pursuant to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, you are provided the protection of a stay of court and administrative proceedings while you are on active duty. You can obtain a stay or postponement of court proceedings if your military service materially affects your ability to proceed in the case. SCRA provides for an automatic stay of ninety days, when you request the protection in writing. Any additional delay beyond the mandatory ninety-day stay period is awarded at the discretion of the judge, magistrate, or hearing officer.

If you are in the divorce process, or if your child’s other parent is attempting to change custody or parenting time, it is important to know your rights. As shown above, it is essential to notify the court in writing if you are away, so that changes cannot take place without your opportunity to appear in court. It is also important to take into consideration your various relocations and absences, when determining an appropriate custody and parenting time agreement.

For more information regarding divorce and child custody issues while in the military, contact Serafini, Michalowski, Derkacz & Associates, P.C. at (586) 264-3756.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?

An article was recently published by USA Today, describing the legal issues that same-sex couples face when trying to divorce. Since not all states recognize same-sex marriages, divorce proves near impossible. Even if the couples try to divorce in a state that does recognize the marriage, they often face hurdles with residency requirements (i.e. they must live in the state they are filing in for at least six-months, in order to file for divorce in that state).

Moreover, even more complications arise when the same-sex couple has a child. When a child is born through artificial insemination, some courts provide no protection for the other party, because in the eyes of the state, they weren’t married when the child was born. Thus, there is somewhat of a bias toward a biological parent in the same-sex relationship.

The article brings up interesting issues, since the courts are not as familiar with these situations. As more couples have non-traditional families, the Friend of the Court will need to adapt and update its policies on custody and parenting time issues, when a child is technically only born to one of the parties.

For more information regarding your child custody rights, contact our office at (586) 264-3756.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?

The Michigan Court Rules allow a family law judge to delegate his/her authority to a referee for recommendations regarding custody, parenting time and child support disputes. The referee essentially has the same authority as a judge to hear evidence and make a ruling on but the ruling is not final. . . it is merely a recommendation. Usually, either party has 21 days to object to the recommendation (some counties such as Macomb will reduce the objection period to 7 days in cases where the recommendation is made the same day as the hearing); if no one objects, the recommendation is ultimately signed by the judge and becomes the order of the court. Thereafter, you can only challenge the ruling if you encounter a substantial change in circumstances.

It is important to note that the referee hearing is only a preliminary step in the process. While judges do give some level of deference to the referee recommendations, the judge has an obligation to hear all of the evidence related to a custody, parenting time or child support dispute if one of the parties objects to the referee recommendation. At the referee hearing, you may submit documentary evidence to support your position but other than the parties, there will not usually be testimony (a full scale trial type investigation can be ordered by the judge but is not the usual procedure). The referee’s function is to try and make a recommendation that best fits the situation at hand so as to bring the matter to resolution and avoid protracted litigation. However, if you do not like the recommendation, you may file your objection and then the matter will be set for a hearing by the judge.

I have frequently objected to referee recommendations because my client felt that the referee missed an important fact (or facts). As stated, the referee hearing is not usually a full trial so once your matter is scheduled for a full evidentiary hearing before the judge, you will be expected to come forward with all of your evidence (i.e. witnesses, documents, etc.). So, if you are not happy with a referee recommendation, all is not lost. You will have your day in court and it is very possible to convince a judge that the referee’s recommendation was not in the best interests of the children.

I do often get phone calls or even referrals from people after their referee hearing. People will sometimes attend the referee hearing without an attorney which I believe is a mistake. Referees (and judges for that matter) do not always respond to a lay person’s argument and it is easy for a lay person to become intimidated by the process. Many times people will tell me they did not get a chance to make all of their points because the referee cut them off. So, I feel strongly that if you do have a custody, parenting time or child support dispute, that you should contact me for a free consultation and ensure that you and your children’s rights are being protected.

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?

Celebrities such as Charlie Sheen seem to constantly be in the news while their divorces or custody battlestake center stage. One wonders if that’s the way these celebrities like it while the average person doesn’t want anyone to know his/her business.

In Sheen’s case, the unfortunate scenario appears to be a situation where both parents have had their share of problems. That really puts the judge in a conundrum because the judge’s obligation is to consider any custody decisions in light of what he/she believes is in the best interests of the minor children.

Of course, the law and how it is applied varies from state to state. In Michigan, there are 11 best interest factors for the court to consider. They are all given equal value so even when the a minor child has a preference, that is only one factor. All of the factors must be considered by the court unless the parties can come to an agreement.

In Sheen’s case, no agreement appears forthcoming and each side, despite his/her problems, is fighting desperately for an advantage. What motivates them? Well, in Sheen’s case, he appears to be obsessed with “winning”. What is truly a win for the children is when the parents can agree on an arrangement and when the parents can get along for the long haul. The media has fueled these public battles in a manner that is ultimately detrimental to the children.

Hopefully, Sheen and his divorce attorneys/advisors will stop trying to litigate his divorce in a public forum and the parties will work out a resolution that is truly in the best interests of the children. That would constitute a “win” for the kids!

Resource: Charlie Sheen’s “Goddesses” Focus of Custody Battle, Vancouver Sun, March 3, 2011

Related Posts: Holiday Parenting Time, Best Interest Factors: What are they?, What is “proper cause” to challenge custody?, What is an established custodial environment?